It Happened In Bethlehem
by GenvieveWoolf
Summary: What if Jesus hadn't been born 2000 years ago, but was about to be born into the family of a certain FBI agent...? Modern nativity story. Gets dark in places, but has a feel-good ending. First chapter is PG. Merry Christmas!
1. The Messenger

_**Author's note** (please read): This started out as an idea for a crack fic and I had a good laugh over it, so I don't blame you one bit if you don't take this story seriously. However, the more I sussed out the plot, the more I started trying to make it halfway believable, and the more I started linking it to Biblical prophecy and whatnot, the more serious it became. I ended up giving the team a very dark and upsetting case to work on in the midst of this weird silliness, so in the end it wasn't very crack-ish at all._

 _ **What you need to know** : Imagine that Christmas doesn't exist yet. Christianity doesn't exist yet. Jesus wasn't born 2000 years ago, and Israel is still waiting for the messiah (I realize modern-day Jews really are still waiting for the messiah, but I come from a Christian background, and I'm expecting that the majority of my readers will too). As far as the CM setting goes, it's somewhere in the middle, when Hotch had been dating Beth for a few months.  
_

 _This is the first CM story I've put up, so... bear with me. :p_

* * *

 **ONE: The Messenger**

"I'm sorry I got back so late," Hotch told Beth as they were settling on her couch to eat takeout. "The weather was so rough they didn't want us trying to land in DC..."

"It's fine," said Beth. "They're saying that weird comet or whatever it is is causing all of this."

"Yeah, I heard. "Reid's been filling us in on a lot of ancient prophecies that some people think are coming true now. To be honest, I didn't listen to most of it, but he finds it fascinating."

"Aaron..."

Her tone sounded anxious. He searched her face and saw signs of worry. "What is it?"

"I... I found something out while you were away. I don't know how to tell you."

"Okay..." He took her hand. "Is it about your job?"

She shook her head. She was starting to breathe harder and looked near tears.

"What happened?"

"I... I missed my period several months back, and I thought it was a fluke. Stuff happens..."

Hotch felt a chill. Worst-case scenarios started running through his mind. _Ovarian cancer? PCOS? ...what?_ "Did you see a doctor?"

"No. I felt fine otherwise, and I'd been running a lot. When I was training hard core, I skipped a lot. But I had a routine checkup this week, and when I told my doctor about it... she said..."

He put his arm around her, sensing how hard it was for her to talk.

"She said that I'm... pregnant."

A completely different type of dread started creeping over Hotch. _It's not mine. And she's not showing yet... shouldn't she be showing? How long ago did it happen?_ "We've been seeing each other too long for it to be from a previous boyfriend," he said slowly, "and we both know it's not mine..."

"I wish I could tell you what happened," she said, her voice breaking. "And I know it sounds crazy, but I really don't understand how this happened."

"Did you tell your doctor that?" He kept his arm around her just because he knew that once everything was out in the open, there would be plenty of time to make it clear how he felt. He wanted to minimize the damage. _Thank God I didn't give her the ring yet._

"I did. She thought I was just panicking." Beth looked up, tears in her eyes. "I didn't cheat on you, Aaron. I swear I didn't."

Even though he knew it was foolish to hope she was telling the truth, he asked, "Is there any way your doctor could have been mistaken?"

She shook her head again. "I don't think so."

One last try. "Is there anytime that you woke up not remembering how you'd gotten there, or where you'd been for the last few hours?"

"I tried, but I couldn't remember anything like that. All I can think of is that someone could have broken into my place while I was asleep and injected me with something to keep me out... but..."

"But how could he clean up so perfectly that you wouldn't notice anything had happened? How could you not feel it?"

"Exactly. I just don't think it's possible. But I don't know. I just don't know." She bowed her head and cried quietly, dabbing her face with a napkin. "The only other thing... you'll think I'm crazy if I tell you."

 _Better crazy than lying. Crazy can sometimes be fixed._ "Try me," Hotch said stiffly.

"A while ago, back when this must have happened, I had this weird dream. It wasn't violent or anything—just weird. There was an angel... I know. I said it was weird. But the angel said I was going to have a baby and I asked how that would work, because I've been waiting for marriage. And then it got twice as weird... he said something like 'the spirit of God' was going to make me pregnant... without a man involved. It was super weird, but after a few days I forgot about it. Until this happened."

"So... either you were date-raped by some religious nut who fed you some story, or you're pregnant with the son of God."

"I don't know. You're the psychology expert."

"Well, I don't have a clue." Hotch pulled away from her and leaned forward on his knees. "We'll have to wait to get a paternity test... but we can only eliminate known criminals with that. It would save us a lot of time and anxiety if you'd just remember what happened."

"I know you don't believe me. And I don't blame you. But I've never lied to you. Please try to trust me now."

 _She could have a memory block. Wait a second... "Foretold by angels..." Reid said something about that. "Behold, a virgin shall conceive..."_ _No. That's ridiculous._

Hotch sighed. "Listen, we shouldn't decide anything tonight. There's a big storm and the tide is going nuts, and they're saying there could be flooding quite a ways inland if that space object keeps coming closer. Right now we should be making plans in case we have to evacuate. We can sort this out later."

"Are you sure?" Beth was looking at him with a pitiful expression. "You're not just going to walk out that door and never speak to me again, are you?"

"No. I wouldn't do that." He stood up and put a hand on her shoulder. "Even if you had cheated on me... I wouldn't want things to be angry and messy. I just need time to think this through."

"Okay." She put her hand over his and looked up tearfully. "I love you, Aaron. There's no one else."

She sounded sincere. She wasn't showing any of the tells of lying. He reached up to brush the tears off her face. "Okay." He swallowed. _This might be the last time I can say it, but at this moment I feel like it's still true._ "I love you too. Good night."

He left the rest of his dinner there, not wanting to linger. He would find something to eat at home. Jack would probably be waiting up for him.

* * *

It had been a long week, and this day had been ridiculous. Instead of peace and comfort at home, Hotch had been greeted with incredible news. He had no idea what to make of it. He went to bed that night expecting to toss and turn a long time before getting to sleep, but it didn't take him more than a few minutes.

 _"Aaron Hotchner."_

 _"Yes," Hotch answered, not sure who had spoken._

 _"I know you've had a shock today."_

 _He saw the speaker now. They both seemed to be standing on some sidewalk on a street corner where the streetlight was out. Still, he could make out that the person appeared to be dressed in some sort of fancy bathrobe. He had blond hair that seemed to reflect the starlight._

 _"That's an understatement," Hotch muttered. "What do you know about it?"_

 _"I know that she's telling the truth. The baby she's carrying is the Son of God."_

 _"Come on. That's crazy."_

 _"I suppose you don't believe in angels, either."_

 _"You're supposed to be an angel? Where are your wings?"_

 _"We don't all have wings!"_

 _"You have to earn them?"_

 _"No! And we don't care about bells ringing, either." The "angel" sighed. "Sorry. That's just one of my pet peeves."_

 _"Okay, well, supposing you're right and this baby is that 'messiah' person Reid was talking about... what am I supposed to do about it?"_

 _"Beth is a fine woman and she hasn't done anything wrong. You should take care of her and the baby. Go ahead and marry her when all of this is over."_

 _"Oh, great. You know, everyone's going to think this baby is mine. They'll think it's the reason we're getting married. I might as well just marry her now." He said it sarcastically, but it didn't seem like the worst option._

 _"No, you mustn't do that."_

 _"Why not?"_

 _"Because it's not a miracle for a married woman to have a child. Everyone needs to know that Beth was impregnated by the Holy Spirit. That's how this works. It's how the prophecy gets fulfilled."_

 _"I'm telling you, they're just going to think we didn't wait. If I hand them some story about there being no father, I'll be a joke."_

 _"What's more important to you: your reputation or Beth?"_

 _"That's not fair."_

 _"It's not exactly fair to her, either. She's the one that will be accused of cheating."_

 _He had a point. "Well, neither of us asked for this."_

 _"No, and neither of you deserve it. It's an honor. You're going to raise a perfect child to be the savior of the world. And that reminds me_ — _be sure to name him something that identifies him. He will save people from sin, so 'Jehovah Saves' would be a good option."_

 _"Shouldn't it be 'The Son Of Jehovah Saves'?" Hotch snarked._

 _"No. If he weren't God himself, this plan wouldn't work."_

 _"Wait. Son of God, fine. Perfect child, whatever. But now you're saying this baby actually_ is _God."_

 _"Yes. 'God With Us' is another good one..."_

 _"Now, hold up, Gabriel..."_

 _"You know my name?"_

 _Hotch had studied the Hebrew Bible and the Book of Enoch, and this was the only angelic figure with whom he was familiar. "You're telling me you're supposed to be_ the _Gabriel?"_

 _"Let's not get off topic again. Keep Beth and her baby safe. It may seem like you're getting a raw deal now, but you won't be sorry." The angel turned to leave._

 _Hotch found that he couldn't move after him. "Hey, wait. I have a couple more questions. I said wait!"_

Hotch sat up. He was in his own bed. It was four in the morning. He groaned and lay back down. _Now_ I'm _having the weird dreams. Maybe it was the curry._

* * *

 _So there's the start to this bizarre adventure. Merry Christmas. :p_


	2. No Room

_AN: I know I'm taking a lot of liberties here, so please don't take the story too seriously if it starts encroaching on your religious sensibilities. Thanks for your patience and understanding. :p_

* * *

 **TWO: No Room**

Months passed. Hotch was not completely convinced that his dream had any more significance than the suggestion of a troubled subconscious mind, but he decided that for the time-being he would do as the dream had suggested. Maybe he wouldn't stay with Beth in the end, but there was no harm in taking care of her. She didn't have any family nearby, and she would need a lot of support to have this baby on her own.

It worked out for Beth to stay with Jack when Hotch had to be gone on a weekend here and there; that way Jessica could pick up extra work, Jack wouldn't be left unsupervised, and Beth would have someone to call Hotch if she went into early labor or had other problems. JJ had recently given birth to her second baby, and she was still on maternity leave. She often went to check on Beth and help her out with housekeeping. She told Hotch that the one time their paths had crossed when the two of them were both pregnant, Michael had shifted dramatically in her womb, as if he were excited to meet Beth's baby. That was ridiculous, of course, but JJ took such pleasure in telling the story that it still made Hotch smile.

Even though he knew it was not his baby, Hotch found himself feeling more and more anxious about Beth and her child. To compound his worry, the strange, luminescent space object was still wreaking havoc on the weather system. Finally, the order to evacuate came. Civilians were removed first, but the FBI didn't wait long to shut down their offices and move agents to temporary headquarters elsewhere. Agents with children were supposed to go first, but while he had sent JJ ahead with her family, Hotch remained to help put together a case.

The case was unusual to say the least. It involved an online chatroom in which someone calling himself "TheKing" had been discussing plans to set up a monarchy in America. The discussion took place behind strong firewalls and it had taken NSA a long time to break in. As soon as they did, the chatroom essentially disintegrated, and very little data remained. Such conspiracies didn't normally take priority, but there was enough authentication to convince the NSA to pass the case on to the FBI.

"Garcia's given us all she can from the chatroom," Rossi said. "I think she's going to do more good going to temporary HQ with you. But we could use more help on this one. We have only a very general idea of where to look for this guy. We need someone who understands the king delusion."

"That's not you?" asked Morgan.

"I may be friendly with a few minor politicians, but this is a whole other animal. I wish Jason could give us his input."

"Maybe he can," said Reid.

Hotch looked up at him. "What do you mean?"

Reid cleared his throat. "I, um... we've been in touch. Through the mail. Letters. Postcards." He cleared his throat again. "I think he'd be interested in this case."

"It's out of my depth," Morgan admitted. "I think I'll do more good at HQ, too."

"Same," said Prentiss. "I've met politicians as well, foreign dignitaries, ambassadors... but there's a big difference between them and someone who wants to stage a hostile takeover and style themselves as a monarch."

"Okay," said Hotch. "Dave, you and Reid try to get hold of Gideon. In the meantime, work on the one chatroom user whose IP address they managed to trace. That's our best lead. And get out of D.C. as quickly as possible. That's an order."

"Sir, would you like to carpool?" Prentiss asked.

"Thank you, but I'll be taking Jack and Beth with me. We'll have a car-full."

"Beth is still here?"

"What are you still doing here?" Rossi demanded. "Go on. Get out of here."

Hotch rolled his eyes, but he started packing up his things. "We should all get going. They're saying there could be standing water in the streets by this time tomorrow night. I'm planning to leave first thing in the morning. You should all leave tonight if you can."

"This thing is gonna miss us, right?" Morgan asked, his careless tone hiding the worry we were all feeling.

"According to my calculations," Reid began, "even if the object is one-tenth the size of the moon—and we can't tell its size very well, due to the extreme luminescence of its aura—its current trajectory suggests—"

"Reid," Morgan cut in, "cut to the chase."

"It should miss us," Reid said.

"Should."

Reid squinted one eye. "Eighty-five percent sure."

Morgan sighed. "Well, there's fifteen percent of me right now that wants to say it was nice working with you," he said, shaking Reid's hand.

* * *

"Everybody ready to go?" Hotch asked when he, Beth and Jack were finally in the car together.

"Yes," said Beth.

"Ready," Jack said, patting the backpack beside him on the seat.

"We got all the suitcases in?" Hotch asked.

"Yup."

"Okay, here we go. Let's hope home is still there when we get back."

Hotch had told Jack a simplified version of what was going on between him and Beth: he wasn't sure who was the baby's father, Beth said she didn't know either, she thought it might be a baby sent straight from God, Hotch was afraid that might be a lie, Beth needed help until they could figure everything out, and for now they would stay together. Jack had adjusted well, and though he sometimes seemed anxious about the way things might turn out, he continued to treat Beth with unbiased affection.

By now, Beth's pregnancy was very obvious. She couldn't put her shoes on without help and her feet were swollen. She sometimes couldn't sleep because of the baby moving or other discomforts that came with having an enlarged abdomen, and she sometimes craved unusual foods at random times. This was the second time around for Hotch, but it was new to Beth and exciting for Jack. The one thing Beth said that gave Hotch an unexplained sense of reassurance was that the baby never kicked too hard. It didn't seem like he was weak, but like he wasn't feeling the need to jerk around violently as some babies did. On those occasions when his movement kept her awake, she felt as if he knew she was awake with him and took comfort in it, eventually calming down to fall asleep as she finally did.

They knew it was a boy; their last prenatal checkup had reaffirmed the previous ultrasound. Hotch had mixed feelings on the news. He wanted to feel proud, but knowing it wasn't his son made him feel strange.

"Immanuel means 'God with us,'" Beth said, looking up at Hotch from the baby name book she was consulting. She had already worked her way through a lot of names.

"Kind of a mouthful," Hotch replied. He still wasn't completely comfortable with accepting the strange dreams they had had as truth.

"He could have a nickname."

"I'm not calling him Manny."

"Okay... Isaiah means 'God is my salvation.'"

"He doesn't need saving; he's supposed to be the savior."

"Yeah... you're right. How about Jehu? It means 'Jehovah is He.'"

"Definitely not. Jehu was a king of Israel, but not someone I'd recommend that a kid look up to. Next?"

"Okay... Oh, here! 'Jehovah is salvation.'"

"What's that one?"

"Jesus."

"Do we really want to give him a Spanish name?"

"It's from Hebrew, Yeshua."

"We could just name him Joshua, then."

"Or we could pronounce it the Anglicized way."

"I don't know... people would always be getting it wrong."

"It's the best meaning I've found so far. I'm writing it down."

"I like it," Jack put in. "If he gets to be my brother we'll both be J's. And then if we get another brother, we can give him a J name too."

Hotch grimaced. "One kid at a time, buddy. Please."

* * *

They finally got to their designated check-in point in Bethlehem, Virginia.

"Name, please?" a civil servant asked when they pulled up to the roadblock.

"Aaron Hotchner and Beth Clemmons," Hotch answered.

"Everything's done alphabetical," the man said. "She'll be up near the head of the line."

"We want to stay together," Beth said, leaning forward to talk across Hotch.

"You can, but you'll have to go to his spot, not yours."

"That's fine."

The man gave them directions to get to the "H" section of the line. Once they'd gotten into place behind a "Hobart" vehicle and in front of a "Hubert" vehicle, Hotch saw just how slowly the line was moving.

"We should have left last night. This is ridiculous..."

"It's not your fault," said Beth. "You wanted to give us one last chance to sleep in our own beds instead of in the car."

"At this rate, we'll be sleeping in the car tonight anyway."

"It's okay," Jack said, though he'd been drooping for the last hour. "I don't mind sleeping in the car."

Hotch smiled a little. "Well, I hope it won't come to that... we'll see."

They continued to crawl forward for another hour, until the line began moving more quickly. Their relief was short-lived—Hotch soon realized that officials up ahead were beginning to turn cars away. When it was their turn at the front, a patrolman told them, "There's no more room for evacuees here. We got orders to send you on to the next town."

"We have to stay here," Hotch said, getting out his FBI identification. "I'm a federal agent. My team is supposed to rendezvous in Bethlehem."

"I'm pretty sure they meant there are absolutely _no_ places left you can stay," the officer said, looking down at a tablet in his hands. "That includes public places like hotels. Since you're FBI I'll let you in to look, but I think you'll just be coming back out again."

"We'll take our chances. Thank you."

The warning proved accurate: not a single establishment would take them in. Hotch tried arguing with one innkeeper.

"We just need a roof over our heads. We can sleep in the lobby if we have to."

"It's booked," the man said grimly.

"It's very important," Hotch said, again feeling the need to show his ID. "I'm not just an evacuee with a family; I'm also here on official business."

"I'm sorry, agent. My hands are tied... if I let one more person stay in here, I'll be in violation of fire code."

Hotch sighed. "Okay... I understand." He turned to leave.

"Hey, sir? Uh... agent?" someone said, following him.

Hotch halted. "Yes?"

"Hey," said the stranger, a middle-aged man in denim overalls. "My wife and I are traveling with our horses. We've got a roomy horse trailer out in the parking lot. You'd be in next to the animals, but if you spread a blanket over the hay bales at the front, it would make a decent bed. At least you'd be a little more comfortable than in your car."

"You're probably right. I'll take a look at it."

* * *

 _If you were raised on the Christmas story, you will have seen several amusing parallels by now. Sorry/not sorry. Hope you're enjoying it._


	3. Rachel Weeping

_And here's part 3. Things get dark in this one._

* * *

 **THREE: Rachel Weeping**

Twenty minutes later, Hotch, Beth and Jack had settled into the hay compartment of the horse trailer.

"I'm so sorry about this," Hotch said as he helped Beth arrange pillows and blankets.

"It's okay," she answered. "I'm just sorry we all have to be in such close quarters."

"I won't be sleeping yet anyway. I need to go meet up with the team if I can. Will you be all right here without me?"

"Yes... but do you have to go tonight?"

He looked around the cramped space. "Well... they did get along without me last night. But that means I lost a day on the case."

"It's okay, daddy," Jack said. "We've got everything we need, just like home. We'll be okay."

"He's right," Beth said. "Even if I were to go into labor, it's going to take at least half a day, right? You'll have plenty of time to get back."

"Yeah..." Hotch picked up his briefcase. "Jack, you stay right here in this trailer until I get back, understand?"

"Yes, sir," Jack answered.

"And do as Beth tells you."

"I will."

Hotch leaned down to hug Jack goodbye. Then he took Beth's hand for a moment. "I'll keep my phone on at all times," he told her.

"Okay," she said. "Be careful."

Hotch took his car through the crowded streets on his way to the temporary headquarters his team had set up at the sheriff's station. The area was somewhat familiar to him; his grandparents had lived in Bethlehem. It was a small town, and he had loved to visit it in his childhood. Not only was it quiet and charming, but visiting his grandparents gave him time away from their abusive son. He doubted anyone there would remember him now.

The station was full of activity when he arrived. It took him three tries to find anyone who could spare a moment to point him in the direction of the FBI's borrowed office.

"How's Beth?" Garcia asked when he finally joined his team.

"Ready to go into labor any time," Hotch replied.

"Were you able to find someplace to stay?" asked JJ. "Everything was so crowded when we got here. Will and the boys are sharing with Morgan, and the rest of us are together."

"We found a place," Hotch said. "Not glamorous, but it has a roof and it's dry." He knew if he gave details, the others would be in an uproar. "What have we got?"

"There's a situation in this town that needs our attention. Last year, not long after we first started hearing about the rogue comet, a baby boy was kidnapped from the Bethlehem hospital. He was found dead two days later. Since then, similar incidents have been cropping up. At first, the interval was a month; then it became a few weeks, and now it seems like an infant boy is kidnapped and murdered in Bethlehem every week or so."

"It's a small town," Hotch said. "At this rate the unsub will run out of victims."

"Which may be why his victimology seems to be evolving," said Prentiss. "At first, the victims were all newborns, but lately there have been a few that were several weeks old, up to the oldest so far, who was about five months."

"Just how many babies have been killed?"

Prentiss looked down solemnly.

"If all the cases are the same unsub, there have been sixteen so far," Morgan supplied.

Sixteen baby boys killed in less than a year. _And he's accelerating._ "Race?"

"Eleven were Jewish," said Garcia. "The other five were white or mixed-race. All of them were born in this town and all of them came from families that had ancestors here, not families that had moved here without a previous generation having lived here before."

"So, it stands to reason that the unsub grew up here," Hotch concluded. "He has a grudge against someone with a long history in this town, or perhaps even against the town itself."

"Why infanticide?" asked Prentiss.

"Maybe his wife cheated on him," suggested Morgan. "She got pregnant with someone else's baby and he agreed to raise it, but he hates the kid and wants to kill it. So, he kills other babies to satisfy that urge."

"Or maybe he's the cheater," said Hotch. "Maybe he passed through this town and had a little too good a time with some local girls and now he's paranoid about finding out he has a child. It could ruin his current relationship."

"Are we sure the unsub is male?" asked JJ. "A woman might hold a grudge against a man born and raised in this town and has made it her mission not to let any other boys grow up the same way."

"But most of them were Jewish; there's an angle there too. It might be racial, religious or both."

"I think twenties for the age range," said Morgan. "Early thirties at most. And I think male is much more likely."

"White male in his twenties," Hotch reviewed. "Has something against the town or individuals in the town. He keeps killing because he either isn't sure he's killed the right target, or because he _can't_ kill the right target and has to kill surrogates. His preferred target is likely Jewish, but he'll kill caucasian babies sometimes... possibly because he can't be sure of their lineage. Judaism is passed through the mother; if only the father has a history in this town, he might be killing them just to be thorough."

"I'll look into that angle," said Garcia. "I'll see if the white babies' moms grew up in town or not."

"Okay. Let's get the profile to the police. With all the evacuees here, the population is temporarily up about fifty percent, but fortunately the visiting population hasn't been targeted. That keeps our victim pool low."

"Although," said JJ, "a lot of the evacuees chose to come to Bethlehem because they have family here. So, some of them could be targeted."

"True." Hotch stood up. "We need a press conference first thing in the morning. I'm sure the town is already aware of the unusually high occurrence of kidnapping and murder of their baby boys, but parents need to be put on high alert. If we don't find the unsub soon, there will be more deaths."

* * *

Hotch tried to enter the trailer quietly, but Beth and Jack both woke up as he came in.

Jack switched on a flashlight and sat up. "Daddy?"

Hotch leaned over the hay bales where they had made Jack's bed and scooped his son into his arms. _Thank God Jack's too old to fit the victim profile... I have roots in this town, too._ "Everything's okay," he said softly. "Go back to sleep."

Jack gave his father a squeeze and lay back with a sleepy "Okay..."

"He's been really good," Beth reported as Hotch came to sit beside her.

Hotch nodded at her stomach. "And how's he been?"

She smiled. "Pretty good, too. But I think he wants to come out soon."

"I wish he'd wait. And I wish they'd recall this evacuation so you could be more comfortable."

"This really isn't that bad. I like horses. And it doesn't really matter what kind of bed I'm on at this point; I can't get comfortable for long at a time."

"Have you been to this... 'one-horse' town before?" Hotch asked, masking his interest in the answer with an attempt at humor.

"A long time ago. My mother grew up around here. There's a little synagogue downtown... Her side of the family is Jewish, and my dad converted."

Hotch's heart sank. "My father's side was Jewish. His parents lived here, too."

"Wow, small world."

 _Our family history makes this baby appear to be at least half Jewish... if he's born here, he'll be near the top of the potential victim list._

"Are you okay? You look worried."

"I'm just wishing you could be somewhere with real walls and air conditioning and plumbing..."

"Speaking of which, I'm going to need a trip to the bathroom before I go back to sleep. Sorry."

"It's fine." Hotch picked Jack up and hoisted him against his shoulder. "Let's go.

The spliced family made their way into the hotel. The public first-floor restroom was co-ed—not that a "women" sign would stop Hotch at this point. He wasn't going to let Beth out of his sight for long; not in a place as crowded as this.

He leaned against the sink counter while Beth was busy in a stall. He nuzzled into Jack's soft hair and kissed his face. "I love you," he whispered. Jack slept on. "You okay in there?" he called to Beth.

"Yeah. Everything just seems to take twice as long now..."

"No hurry."

When she came out, Hotch patiently waited while Beth washed her hands. He pulled paper towels from the dispenser on the wall and handed them to her.

"Thanks," Beth said, taking the rough towels from him. "You've been really amazing through all of this."

He looked down, not sure what to say. The last thing he wanted to do was upset her, but he still wasn't sure how he expected things to work out. "Maybe I just don't know what else to do," he murmured.

She threw away the damp towels and put a hand on his arm. She hesitated. "It'll be okay. You'll see." Her voice was tight and he could see the warning signs of tears in her eyes.

 _This is crazy, right? This baby can't really be the son of God... But if he's not, that leaves only two options_ — _someone raped Beth and her attacker is nine months in the wind, or she had an affair or a one-night stand and is lying about it._ Neither was a pleasant option, and while the first would be painful enough for them to work through, the second would be a personal betrayal. Still, after months of mulling it over, Hotch was beginning to think he might be able to forgive it. He just wished he could know for sure.

"Beth... if—"

The bathroom door opened and Hotch clamped his mouth shut as two women entered together. The newcomers smiled at them before going into stalls.

"Come on," Hotch told Beth quietly. He ushered her out of the room, across the lobby and back out to the horse trailer.

"What were you going to say before those girls came in?" Beth asked, barely above a whisper, as she lay back down on her bed of blankets and hay bales.

Hotch hung his jacket on a hook probably intended to hold a bridle and began loosening his tie. "We can talk about it later," he said. "Right now, we need sleep."

A minute later, he was lying down on the other side of Jack. The makeshift bed was surprisingly comfortable. The smell of the animals next door wasn't too overpowering, either. At least the kind people who had lent them the space cleaned the horses' traveling compartment on a regular basis. It didn't take him long to fall asleep.

* * *

 _I know there probably can't be much real suspense here because everyone knows this story, but I hope it's holding your interest anyway. :p_


	4. A Sign Unto You

_Welcome to this slightly longer chapter. More of the grim case in this one._

* * *

 **FOUR: A Sign Unto You**

The next morning, Bob and Jenny, the trailer owners, brought hot drinks out to them: coffee for Hotch, tea for Beth and hot chocolate for Jack.

"This is so nice of you," Beth said.

Jenny waved the comment away. "They're complimentary in the hotel, and you really ought to be staying in there. When Bob told me he let you sleep in the trailer I told him _we_ should be sleeping down here, and you should have our room... but apparently even one extra person will put them over the fire code limit, and there are three of you... At least you and your little boy could swap with us..."

"We want to stay together," Beth said. "And... Jack isn't actually my son, but he is Aaron's."

"It's a little complicated," Hotch said, hoping to move away from the subject of their odd arrangement.

"Nothing wrong with that," Bob declared. "Family's family."

"When are you going to need to head out of here? Were you passing through, or?"

"Nope, just regular evacuees... there is a show south of here we thought about trying hit, but with you folks needing a place to sleep and the roads being bumper-to-bumper right now anyway, we might as well stay put."

"Can I pet the horses?" Jack asked, sounding like he'd been wanting to cut in for a while now, but knew better than to interrupt.

"Sorry," Hotch said. "He's been peeking through the window at them..."

"It's fine," Jenny said, smiling. "Sure, you can pet them if it's okay with your dad. But you have to promise to do it the right way. I'll teach you, okay?"

"Okay," Jack said. "Is it okay, daddy?"

Hotch nodded. "All right."

Jenny took Jack into the back of the trailer, instructing him not to ever go in with the horses by himself. While she explained how to approach the horses, Hotch checked the time.

"I need to get to the station..." Hotch looked at Beth. She looked tense. "Are you okay?"

She nodded and sighed, rubbing her stomach.

"Was it a contraction?"

"I don't think so." She smiled. "It's okay. You need to go. I'll call you if something happens."

"We'll keep an eye on them," Bob offered. "We just got our first grandchild last year." He got out his wallet to show a picture to Beth, who crooned in delight. "Jenny loves everything about babies, and there's not a lot to do while you're waiting around to get the all-clear to go back home; we'll be glad of the company."

"I really appreciate it," Hotch said. "Call me if anything comes up; Beth can give you my number. And try not to spoil Jack. He's pretty obedient, but he'll exploit a weakness if he finds one."

Bob laughed. "Got it."

* * *

The team worked the case, narrowing their suspect pool little by little. They weren't sure whether the unsub was a citizen, an outsider or someone who had grown up in Bethlehem and recently returned.

"He's been here too long to have been evacuated here," Emily said. "Unless he's been coming and going before and _then_ got evacuated..."

"We still don't know why they're being killed," said Morgan. "Most of the babies were smothered, which is more of a feminine MO, but most signs point to the unsub being male..."

"Maybe he can't stand hearing them crying," JJ suggested. "Maybe he has kids of his own and he doesn't like hearing them or looking at them because it makes him think of his kids."

"Let's try that angle. Garcia, look for young fathers."

"It'll take me a little while to narrow that down, but I'll do my best and get back to you soon," Garcia said.

"He could be smothering them just to ensure no one will hear the killing," Morgan said.

"Maybe, but all but two were killed that way, and most of them were abducted first," Hotch reminded him. "He could have taken them somewhere where they wouldn't be overheard."

Prentiss, who had been flipping through her folders for a minute, said, "Yeah, the only ones that weren't smothered were killed immediately, not abducted and taken somewhere else. So, the smothering wasn't an apprehension countermeasure. It's more likely that the... other method... was used because it was quicker."

She couldn't bring herself to describe the other two killings. One had been a snapped neck, and the other non-smothered victim had been dropped, or perhaps thrown, on the floor.

"Is it possible that one of those two outside our MO box could have been perpetrated by the parents?" JJ asked, a distasteful expression on her face. "They could have used the unsub's killings as a cover."

"Possibly," said Hotch. "But right now our focus needs to be on finding the unsub before he kills again."

Garcia's phone rang. "It's Reid," she reported. Hotch nodded to her and she answered it. After a short conversation, she ended the call. "Reid thinks they may have found a new chatroom set up by that king-wanna-be guy. I need to see if I can hack into it."

"Go ahead. I'll let you know if we need you."

* * *

Many miles west of Bethlehem, Reid, Rossi and Gideon were ready for an infiltration. The chatroom they were about to enter required a password, but anyone was allowed to share the password if they found someone trustworthy enough. By hacking the backlogs, Garcia found the username of a regular visitor who logged in only at specific times. This user, FutureSeeker666, was unlikely to log in for at least the next four hours.

"You probably shouldn't all go in at once," Garcia told Reid over the phone. "If time weren't so short, I'd say you should build up their confidence in you over a period of weeks..."

"I know," said Reid. "But if this guy really does pose a threat to national security, we can't afford to take our time."

"Okay. I'm sending you the password. I'll be lurking, but Hotch may need me for something here, so don't count on me to bail you out."

"All right." Once he had the password, Reid joined the chatroom.

 _User Genius187 has entered the chatroom._

Various users greeted the newcomer.

 _Majesty: Hello, Genius. You're new._

 _Genius187: Yeah. FutureSeeker told me about you. Glad I caught you online._

 _Majesty: You're interested in our vision for the future?_

 _Genius187: Absolutely. This country needs a change._

 _Majesty: I take it you're in the US then_

 _Genius187: I am. A little nervous about that "star" to the east._

 _BeTheChange: We were just talking about that. It seems like a sign that it's almost time for Majesty to take the throne._

 _NewAge25: But there are other signs floating around, too..._

 _Genius187: No way, I was just telling my pal about these prophecies people think will come true soon. Something about a savior baby being born. Sounds crazy, but I thought if it's true the star might be for him._

 _Majesty: Who is this pal of yours?_

 _Genius187: Met in another chatroom. He's into history and mythology and stuff. Hang on; I'll ask him to join._

 _Majesty: Is he friendly to the cause?_

 _Genius187: I think he's neutral at worst. He's more interested in figuring out what these prophecies mean than anything else_

 _NewAge25: I'd be interested to hear what he has to say. I don't know much about prophecy but I've heard rumors_

 _User Scribe has entered the chatroom._

 _Genius187: There he is._

 _NewAge25: Welcome, Scribe._

 _BeTheChange: Hey. Genius says you know about prophecies and stuff._

 _Scribe: Hello._

 _Scribe: Yes, I make quite a study of ancient texts... I was told that Majesty is hoping to become king, but I'm not sure he fits the prophecies._

 _Majesty: You're talking about that virgin birth thing?_

 _Scribe: That's a big one, yes. Then there's the one about someone reigning until the savior comes. I don't know if that's the current administration, or if it could be referring to someone like you. There's one about his star appearing in the east. One about him being born in poverty, one about him being called Immanuel. Those don't seem to fit you, Majesty._

 _Genius187: My colleague and I were thinking we should just follow the star and see where it takes us. They say the comet or whatever is almost at its closest proximity to earth and will pass by soon. If it's going to reveal this messiah kid, it will have to be soon._

 _Scribe: I'd be interested in joining you. The most likely location seems to be Bethlehem - there's a prophecy about that town too._

 _Genius187: It's crazy-packed with evacuees right now, but I guess that's a good cover for going in to look._

 _Majesty: I've been keeping an eye on that town myself. I thought I was just being paranoid, but now that you say all that, I think I was right to think the child might be born there._

 _Scribe: Paranoid? What's a little baby going to do to you?_

 _NewAge25: Yeah really lol_

 _Majesty: Of course you're right_

 _Genius187: Hang on my colleague's gonna sign in_

 _Majesty: The one planning to travel with you?_

 _Genius187: Yeah_

 _User MagiX3 has entered the chatroom._

 _BeTheChange: Welcome_

 _NewAge25: Hi Magi!_

 _MagiX3: I've been watching the conversation over Genius187's shoulder..._

 _MagiX3: I've been a student of astrology for several years and I definitely think this comet is more than a random coincidence._

 _Majesty: You think it signals the birth of a king?_

 _MagiX3: Undoubtedly, and I think it's a literal birth. A baby has been born or will be born soon, and that baby is going to be a great king or something. I've already asked for time off from work. I want to chase that star._

 _Genius187: So it looks like we're going. We'll start with Bethlehem and see what happens._

 _Scribe: I'm not far from you guys either. I could meet up with you on the way._

 _Genius187: That would be awesome! I've been wanting to meet you irl._

 _Majesty: I want you to keep me updated on this. Let me know the moment you find the little prince._

 _Majesty: If he's destined to rule he could be a valuable ally. I would want to take him a gift of goodwill._

 _Scribe: A gift is a good idea. We should take gifts with us._

 _Scribe: This kid is supposed to be born into a poor family, so he'll need some wealth to outfit him properly. I can set up a trust fund for him._

 _MagiX3: Nice. It's a celebration, right? I'll take him some flowers. Lilies represent innocence, don't they?_

 _Scribe: That's a good choice._

 _Genius187: He'll have to make a lot of important speeches someday. I can give him his first tie._

 _MagiX3: I thought I was going cheap._

 _Genius187: Hey, it'll be real silk. A nice, formal, black tie._

 _NewAge25: Sounds like you guys are outfitting him for a funeral lol_

 _Majesty: Just remember to tell me what you find. This could be really important._

 _Scribe: We will. I can leave as soon as tomorrow morning, if that works for you guys._

 _Genius187: Sure, Scribe. I'll pm you in the other chatroom. Oh before I forget_

 _Genius187: do you change the password here regularly?_

 _Majesty: This one is new. We haven't changed it yet._

 _MagiX3: Probably a good idea to change it often._

 _BeTheChange: True. What should we change it to?_

 _NewAge25: Longlivetheking?_

 _Genius187: That's a little simple_

 _Genius187: If you convert some of the letters to numbers, even with the simplest of codes, it will increase the security of the password exponentially._

 _MagiX3: Here he goes; he's always talking about codes and numbers..._

 _NewAge25: lol_

 _Genius187: Lon7Liv5t8ek9ng_

 _BeTheChange: god howm I supposed to remember that? I'll have to write it down..._

 _Scribe: Just remember the pattern of letters that have been switched for numbers: last, last, second, second. It's not too hard._

 _Majesty: Definitely avoid writing it down if you can._

 _Genius187: I'll give it to FutureSeeker. Who else needs to know?_

 _NewAge25: I can tell Overwatch._

 _Majesty: I'll let the others know._

 _MagiX3: ok so we're covered. Guess I should go pack an overnight bag. lol_

 _Scribe: Same here. And I have to visit the bank..._

 _MagiX3: see you later_

 _User MagiX3 has left the chatroom._

 _Genius187: I'm really excited about this. And meeting you, Scribe._

 _Scribe: lol same here. See you in the other room. Bye, all_

 _User Scribe has left the chatroom._

 _BeTheChange: Last, last, second, second... I think I can remember that. Oh, we're doing the first two words capitalized, too?_

 _Genius187: lol yup_

 _BeTheChange: Crap. Long Live... the king... 4 4 2 2... ok I think I've got it._

 _Genius187: ok well I gotta go now. Great meeting everyone. Majesty, I hope you get your throne soon._

 _Majesty: Check in soon, Genius._

 _Genius187: I'll keep you posted ^^_

 _User Genius187 has left the chatroom._

Reid sighed. "That was really stressful..."

"Garcia," said Rossi, "let us know if and when he changes the password."

"I'm all over it," Garcia responded. "Poor FutureSeeker666 will be locked out forever. Mwa ha ha... or, at least until this is over."

"I almost feel sorry for him," said Gideon.

"Well, we can't risk him spilling that he actually _wasn't_ the one who told Reid about the chatroom and gave him the password."

"I know."

"He's an anarchist anyway," said Rossi. "He'll find plenty of trouble to get into elsewhere. I'm just glad he's not in this country."

"Before they were talking about recruiting people and stockpiling weapons," said Garcia. "I didn't expect the conversation to go this way."

"We may be able to lure him out if we pretend to find this threat to his monarchy," Gideon said. "We'll run it by Hotch."

* * *

 _It's obvious which username was Reid's; can you tell Rossi from Gideon? :p_


	5. Too Numerous

_Four days left until Christmas! I don't even know why I'm excited, since I won't be able to spend it with family this year, but anyway..._

 _More casework in this chapter, but focus shifts more to the family next time, and action is on the horizon._

* * *

 **FIVE: Too Numerous**

"Hotch! Hotch!" Garcia said excitedly when she rejoined the rest of the team, "I think I have something. Well, I'm not sure, but I _might_ have something."

"All right," Hotch said evenly. "Calm down and close the door."

Garcia turned back to close the door and then returned to the table. "I've got a transcript here from the chatroom discussion the other guys just had, and I think their case might be related to our case."

"The power-hungry upstart king is our unsub?" asked Prentiss.

"I know it's a heck of a coincidence, but what with all this prophecy crap and the star... sorry, comet... thingy almost directly over us, I think it's possible."

The others picked up the pieces of paper she laid in front of them. After a few minutes, they began to agree that their cases likely overlapped.

"He's got motive," said Prentiss. "That's the first solid one we've found so far."

"This guy really thinks some savior baby in this town is going to threaten his chance at becoming king?" Morgan asked incredulously.

"It sounds that way," said JJ. "I think our initial age estimate is off. I'd put this unsub in his thirties at least. Maybe older."

"This is good, right?" Garcia asked with nervous excitement. "If Majesty is our unsub, it's a huge lead, isn't it?"

"It is a big lead," said Hotch, "but unfortunately, if Majesty is killing the babies or having them killed on his orders, this conversation will have made his cause seem even more urgent. He'll strike again soon."

Garcia's face fell. "Please don't tell me we just got a baby killed."

"Try to track Majesty down. We need a location as soon as possible."

"Yes, sir."

"Let's hope that doesn't happen," Morgan said when Garcia had retreated from the room. "But if another baby is taken tonight or tomorrow morning, I'd say that's a strong indication that Majesty is our guy."

* * *

Unfortunately, news of another abduction came even sooner than the team anticipated. It was mid-afternoon when an officer informed Hotch that a baby boy had been snatched from a park. The team hurried to the location and interviewed witnesses and the family, who were suffering shock and extreme anxiety over the loss.

JJ and Prentiss kept the baby's adoptive older sister occupied while Hotch interviewed the parents. Their description of the kidnapper revealed only a vague idea of height and build. His loose clothing and hooded shirt prevented them from picking out any other details. The vehicle he drove was equally ambiguous: a black four-door sedan with no license plate.

"We know what's been happening in town," the wife said through her tears. "I can't believe we let this happen..."

"You can't blame yourselves," Hotch told them, though he knew his words probably wouldn't help much. "This man is very experienced, and he's getting bolder. Taking your son from such a public place in daylight is very unusual, even for a career criminal."

"You mean a serial killer," the husband said grimly. "What are the chances that Dan is already dead?"

His wife sobbed, but didn't protest. She knew the outlook wasn't good.

"I can't give you a probability," Hotch said. "Ordinarily, if we can find a missing child in the first twenty-four hours, there's a good chance they'll be alive. But in this case... I'm not sure we have that long. I'm very sorry that this happened. I have a son... if anything happened to him, I wouldn't know what to do. We're going to do everything we can to find your son. There just aren't any guarantees."

"Hotch," Morgan called from a few yards away.

Hotch excused himself from the grieving couple and approached Morgan. "Find something?"

"No. Garcia just called. Another nine-one-one call just came in. It's a child abduction too."

Hotch swore. "He's not only accelerating, he's taking two victims in one day now. He's getting desperate."

"Let's hope he's getting careless too. This means Majesty is the unsub, right?"

"He's looking pretty damn good for it."

As it turned out though, the unsub didn't stop at two. By the time the sun was setting, eight male infants had disappeared and three had resurfaced dead.

"This is insane," JJ said. "We've got varying descriptions of kidnappers and vehicles, still five missing kids and three bodies just from today!"

"I don't think I can do this," Garcia said quietly. "It's too much. I can't... I can't think. I can't even... code. I just want to go home and hug something soft and..."

"Garcia," Hotch's firm tone snapped her out of her babbling. "I need you to find Majesty. Shut out everything else if you have to—no, if you _can_ —and find that man." When she stared blankly, he barked, "Find him!"

"O-okay, I'll try," she whimpered and scurried from the room.

"She's' running ragged," Morgan said. "You know how sensitive she is."

"We don't have time for sentiment right now," Hotch countered. "I know this one is rough on all of us, but if we can't do our job and do it fast, the body count will keep rising."

His phone rang. It was Beth. He stepped away to answer it. "Hello?"

"Hey, I was a little worried," Beth said. "Have you had supper yet?"

Hotch checked his watch. "No... I lost track of time. But I don't think I should leave. This case keeps getting worse and worse, and we can't afford to waste any time."

"I heard... it's on the news in the hotel lobby. I didn't watch much because I didn't want Jack picking up what was going on, but... it's just awful."

"I know. I'm sorry you had to hear that. I don't want anything upsetting you right now."

"I'm okay, but... mm."

"Are you okay?" Hotch held his breath.

"Um... Yeah, I'm fine. Just a twinge..."

"Is it a contraction?"

"I'm not sure. It's gone now."

"Is Jenny there?"

"Not at the moment, but I've got her number. She said I could call any time."

"Well... I really think I should stay here for now. Will you be okay?"

"I'll be fine. And I'll call you back if I am having contractions."

"Okay." He hesitated. He wanted to tell Beth that he loved her, but he had kept himself from saying those words since she got pregnant. There was still a nagging worry that she might have cheated on him. Even if he wanted to say it now, he felt he should say it in person and not over the phone. "Take care," he said at last.

"We will."

When he got back to their makeshift office, Garcia had an update.

"He's not currently in Bethlehem, sir, but he's been talking to this guy called Thutmose, who seems to have an IP address that places him much closer to us."

"Thutmose... that's an Egyptian pharaoh," Hotch mused.

"Yes, sir. Gideon told me that Thutmose the second is one of the pharaohs thought to have possibly reigned during the time of the Exodus."

"Odd for the underling of a guy wanting to be king to choose a king name for his chatroom username," said Morgan.

"Have you gotten a subpoena for the ISP?" asked Hotch.

"I'm working on that," Garcia answered. "The trouble is, he and Majesty both log into the chatroom from more than one device. He might not be using his own internet to access it."

"Could there be more than one person using the same username?" asked JJ.

"In theory, yeah, but I haven't seen any evidence that that's going on. There haven't been any attempts to use them when there was already a Thutmose or Majesty in the chatroom. In which case, the server would inform the would-be user that that name was already in use and they would have to use something else."

"So, are we thinking Thutmose is the unsub working on Majesty's orders?" asked Morgan.

"Possibly," said Hotch. "You're right, though: there's something odd about his using the name of a ruler."

* * *

The username continued to nag at Hotch throughout the evening. Meanwhile, more bodies turned up.

"They're all being killed with whatever's available at the scene," JJ said in a frustrated tone when the team had received the latest forensic evidence around eleven p.m. "Most of them aren't being suffocated anymore."

"He's evolving or we have two unsubs," said Prentiss. "Maybe Majesty did his own dirty work at first, but now that he's panicking, he's letting Thutmose do it for him."

"Fewer of them are Jewish, too," said Morgan. "Only three of the eight most recent."

"Before, he had time to research them," said Hotch. "Now, he doesn't care. He's killing any baby boy born in Bethlehem who _might_ be of Jewish descent."

Hotch's phone rang; it was Reid this time. "What is it, Reid?" Hotch answered the phone wearily.

"Hey... it's not much," Reid said, "but Gideon and I think we know why the henchman is calling himself Thutmose. If Thutmose the second is the one who chased the Israelites out of Egypt, it stands to reason that Thutmose the first might be the one who was afraid that the Israelites were becoming too numerous and might revolt, so he had all the baby boys killed."

As soon as he said it, Hotch was sure. "I think that's exactly it. This Thutmose person didn't choose the name because it was royal; he chose it because it was an infant-killer. I want you, Dave and Gideon to get to Bethlehem as soon as you can."

"We were planning to come in the morning, but maybe if we head out tonight the roads won't be as busy."

"Do that. We'll see you soon."

He had another call waiting when he finished talking to Reid. "Hello, Beth?"

"Aaron, they're definitely contractions."

* * *

 _Minor cliffhanger... I should be able to post more soon. How about a little feedback? How do you like the story so far?_


	6. Her Firstbborn Son

_AN: Thanks for all the views and thank you Emobunnyme for the feedback on each chapter. :)_

 _And now the exciting continuation..._

* * *

 **SIX: Her Firstborn Son**

"Okay. How far apart?"

Hush fell over the team as they realized what was happening.

"Um... the last one was probably at least twenty minutes after the one before."

"Okay," Hotch repeated, as much to himself as to Beth. "Has your water broken?"

"Not yet."

"How's Jack?"

"He's pretty good... I told him a little bit of what to expect..."

"Yeah, I did that, too." Hotch let himself out of the office and closed the door behind him for privacy. "He should be fine for the early phase. Can you put him on?"

"Sure."

After a pause, Hotch heard his son's voice.

"Hi, daddy."

"Hey, buddy. How are you doing?"

"Good."

"Are you taking care of Beth?"

"Yeah... but she doesn't need much. She said she's fine."

"You remember what I said might happen when she goes into labor?"

"Yeah... when the baby's ready to come out some water and stuff might come out of where the baby's been living."

"Right. And that doesn't always mean it's about to be born right away. Usually the mom is in labor quite a while after that."

"Mhm."

"So, I want you to do something to help me out, okay?"

"Okay."

"I want you to check the time whenever Beth has a contraction. If they're far apart, that's fine. She should just try to keep resting as much as she can. But if they get to be less than ten minutes apart, she needs to call me again. If she can't, you need to call me. Got that?"

"Yeah. Less than ten minutes apart then we call you."

"Right. And if her water does break, I want you to remember what time it happened, and if it's not clear then what color it is, and what it smells like."

"What it smells like?"

"Yeah. Can you do that?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good man. You can give the phone back to Beth now."

He could hear the smile in Beth's voice when she spoke again. "He's a little trooper."

"Yeah, he is. Do Bob and Jenny know you're in labor?"

"I sent Jenny a text. It's late, though... they might be asleep."

"Okay. Listen... about what's been happening in town. If someone hears that you're in labor, word could get back to the killer and you might be targeted. It's a slim chance, but I don't want to risk it. There's an empty Glock 19 in the glove compartment of the SUV and ammunition in the spare tire compartment in the back. I want you to wait until after your next contraction and then take Jack and go get them. Keep them in the trailer with you. Jack knows not to touch my guns, but give him a reminder just to be safe. He's not allowed to handle it."

"All right."

"Send me a text so I know you've got it and you're back in the trailer."

"Okay, I will."

"You know how to operate it?"

"It's been a while, but I think I remember."

"All right... Beth... I want you to know that..." Hotch swallowed and took a deep breath. "Whoever the father is, I'm willing to raise this child with you. I love you and I want you to be my wife."

For a moment he heard only Beth's excited breathing. Then she said breathily, "Does that mean you believe me?"

"It means that... I think if you had lied to me you would have told me by now. And it would be okay either way. I love you too much to lose you over this."

She sniffed. "I didn't lie to you, Aaron. I never have."

Tears ran down Hotch's face. "Okay. I believe you. I'm sorry it's been so hard..."

"It's okay. And by the way... yes, I'll marry you."

Overcome with emotion for the moment, Hotch couldn't say anything. Then he heard Jack exclaim, "You're gonna get married?" He grinned and wiped his tears away. "I need to pull myself together and get back to my team," he said. "I'm sorry I can't be with you right now."

"It's okay. What you're doing is important."

"Remember to text me when you're back with the Glock."

"All right. I love you. Be careful."

"I will. I love you too."

* * *

"So?" asked JJ when he rejoined the others.

"Baby Hotchner is coming!" Garcia all but squealed.

"We're not married, Garcia," Hotch said flatly.

"Baby... Clemmons, right? But you're together..."

"And I probably will adopt him. I just asked Beth to marry me."

"Congratulations," said Prentiss.

"About time," muttered Morgan.

"But... you don't need to adopt him if he's..." Garcia clapped a hand over her mouth.

"You might as well know," Hotch said to the room at large. "The baby isn't mine."

Silence fell again until JJ stammered, "But... but Beth isn't..."

"No, she's not the type to cheat on me. That's not what happened. It's a long story. The important thing is that we're going to get married and raise the kid together. And the other thing is, even though I'm not the father, the unsub won't know that. Beth and I both have ties to this town, and both of us have a parent of Jewish descent. Since we haven't been living here I don't think he has any way of being aware of Beth's pregnancy, or any special interest in our baby, but if he does hear about him somehow, he'll be the prime target."

"You should be with her now," said Prentiss. "Don't you want to get her to the hospital?"

"It's too early for that. Besides, the hospital is the last place I want the baby to be born. The profile says the unsub uses the hospital to find targets."

"Okay, so home birth," JJ said. "You're going to need the paperwork to file the birth certificate."

"I can get that," Garcia said, jumping up.

"Where are you staying? I can come help with the birth. If Reid gets here in time, he can too."

"That's fine, but we have plenty of time," Hotch said, ignoring JJ's question. "We need to stay focused on the unsub."

"Seriously, man, you should be with Beth," said Morgan.

"She's fine for now. How can I look in the eyes of another mother of a dead baby if I don't put everything I can into this case? Besides, catching the unsub means keeping the baby safe."

No one could argue with that point.

Hotch delved back into the files of the victims that had been killed before the team arrived in Bethlehem. After a few minutes, he called for everyone's attention. "It seems that there may have been another criterion that the unsub gave up when he started devolving. Each of the early victims was a first child, or at least a first son. None of them were second sons."

"You're right," JJ said, flipping back through her copy of the paperwork. "Even most of the more recent victims are only children. Dan, the baby taken from the park, had a big sister, but she was adopted."

"So, it stands to reason that Dan was vetted some time ago," said Morgan, "back when he had time to do research."

"Let's look at potential victims with no older siblings and see if we can predict where he'll strike next," Hotch said.

* * *

Hours later, before their latest line of inquiry could pan out, the team was following a lead. Another baby had been murdered, this time in its own home. A witness had seen a figure moving between houses and reported the prowler shortly before the child was discovered dead. Now they were following up another prowler tip. The tip line had been getting regular use since the ten o'clock news report. JJ had spoken to the public, urging the inhabitants of Bethlehem to keep their doors locked and to report any suspicious behavior—if possible, without alerting the unsub. This time, it seemed that the prowler was completely unaware that he had been spotted. He was moving from house to house in a poorly-lit neighborhood, undoubtedly looking for signs that an infant was in one of the homes.

Riding to the neighborhood with Hotch, Morgan said, "I know it's not really my business... but are you sure Beth's baby isn't yours? The pill isn't a hundred percent effective... condoms fail sometimes..."

"Morgan." Hotch didn't care to have this discussion at all, let alone now. But he decided it was better to shut it down than put it off. "We were waiting. It's not mine."

"You were...? Okay."

"You don't believe me?"

"No, I'm just... surprised."

"Well, you were right: it's not really your business."

"Yeah. Sorry."

Police and FBI vehicles were converging on the area when they arrived, lights and sirens off. Hotch quickly briefed everyone before they began to spread out.

"Everyone must have an earpiece," he said. "We can't have squawking radios alerting the unsub that we're here. We're dividing into teams to search the area. Do _not_ open fire unless absolutely necessary. We have no evidence that the unsub is armed, and we don't want any chance of hitting each other or a civilian in the dark. If you understand, signify by silence."

No one spoke.

"Good. follow your team leader and let's move out."

The teams flowed around the buildings, barely making a sound. After a few minutes of careful searching, Hotch heard Morgan's voice speaking quietly in his ear.

"I've got a possible unsub at house two-eighteen. That's two, one, eight. He's just entered the home. My team has closed a perimeter, but we need backup to take him down."

"Roger that," Hotch said, already turning in the direction of Morgan's location. "Maintain the perimeter until we get there. We can't afford to lose him." He knew that waiting to enter the home might mean the death of the baby inside, but letting the killer get away could mean the deaths of many more.

Soon everyone was in position and Garcia had filled them in on the homeowners' basic information as they moved.

Hotch knocked loudly on the front door of the house. "Mister and Missus Matthews, this is the FBI! The house is surrounded. We're coming in."

He let the police force the door open and headed inside, holding his flashlight and gun up ahead of him. As he proceeded, officers entering the house behind him found wall switches and flooded the home with light. Soon they cleared all the rooms on the first floor. Then they heard shouts from upstairs.

Following the sound, Hotch found the Matthewses in the upstairs hallway, pleading with someone through a doorway.

"Please don't hurt her! She's just a baby!"

"This baby's a girl?" came a muffled, incredulous voice from inside. "You're just saying that because you think I won't kill him if I think it's a girl..."

Hotch quietly came up behind the distraught couple and looked into the room.

"Our last baby was a boy, but we lost him," Mr. Matthews said, ignoring Hotch's presence. "We never changed the wallpaper or anything... but that's a girl. Her name is Martha. She's not even a year old. Please..."

The unsub, dressed all in black, was standing behind the crib, one arm down inside it. His hand wasn't visible behind the soft bumper that lined the sides of the crib.

Hotch gently nudged the parents to the side and Morgan urged them on down the hall.

"It's over," Hotch told the unsub. "Step away from the crib."

* * *

 _Don't mess with kids when Hotch is around. Fair warning. Thanks for reading!_


	7. Do You Know What I Know

_Here's 7. Enjoy. This title is from the carol "Do You Hear What I Hear," the stanza most pertinent to the chapter... here's hoping the thought gets across. :p  
_

* * *

 **SEVEN: Do You Know What I Know**

Hotch could hear the muffled whimpering of the baby.

"No, you get out of here," the unsub countered. A balaclava hid his features, but Hotch recognized the desperation in his voice. "Leave, or I'll kill him."

"If that baby were a boy, I know you'd kill him whether I left or not. But it's a girl, and if you kill her now you'll have nothing to bargain with."

"There's no way you're letting me out of here without a hostage. Drop the gun, or I'll kill her!"

The whimpering was getting quieter and sounding more strained.

"You're suffocating her. If you don't stop, you won't have a hostage. And I _will_ shoot you."

"Drop the gun now!"

"I won't warn you again. Step back from the crib."

"You're the one killing her! Drop it."

Hotch fired and the unsub staggered back. Morgan rushed into the room to secure the unsub while Hotch went to the crib and lifted a teddy bear from the baby's face. She looked pale and unresponsive. Hotch dropped the crib gate and leaned down to listen. The baby wasn't breathing. He blew on her face and got no response.

"Come on, Martha..." He sealed his lips over the baby's nose and mouth and gently let his breath out until he saw her stomach puff out slightly in her onesie. He lifted his head long enough to tell Morgan, "Keep the parents out of here!" Then he gave the baby another breath and felt the inside of her elbow for a pulse.

"Does she have a pulse?" asked JJ's voice.

"Yes. It's weak."

Hotch delivered another breath to the infant, who suddenly gurgled and coughed. Then she was crying again—a strong, healthy cry.

"Oh, thank God," JJ said. She lifted the baby carefully into her arms. "It's okay, sweetheart."

Hotch's phone vibrated in his pocket. He should really have turned it off during the neighborhood search, but he'd promised Beth he would leave it on. However, it was Garcia calling, not Beth.

"What is it, Garcia?"

"Sir, have you got him?"

"Yes. Injured, but alive. Once medics have stabilized him, he might be able to tell us something about who Majesty is."

"Good. I thought you'd want to know that Rossi and the others are here."

"Thank you. We'll be back at the station soon."

When Hotch came downstairs, the Matthewses were holding their baby and talking with JJ. Mrs. Matthews looked up at him.

"You're agent Hotchner?"

"Yes, ma'am," Hotch said, coming closer to them on his way to the door.

"Agent Jareau told us you saved our baby's life. Thank you."

"We can't thank you enough," her husband said.

"I'm just glad we got here in time," Hotch answered.

"She also said your fiancee is about to have a baby," said Mrs. Matthews. "Is there anything we can do to help?"

"That's nice of you, but..." Hotch paused, thinking about the hay compartment where the baby was likely to be born. "Actually... if you could spare a receiving blanket or two... we're having a home birth, so..."

"Yes, of course." She left Martha in her husband's arms and quickly went to pack a bag.

"Isn't the hospital a safe option now?" JJ asked quietly, following them back upstairs.

"Not with the other one unaccounted for. I think we caught Thutmose, and Majesty is still out there," Hotch explained.

Mrs. Matthews hurried around the nursery, finding lots of items Hotch and Beth might need for the baby. "I've even got a few leftover newborn diapers," she said cheerfully, putting them into a tote bag.

"That's very kind."

"Not at all. I probably won't be needing them..." She sounded a little wistful.

"You don't think you'll have any more children?" JJ asked.

"Our first was a very complicated pregnancy and the baby was stillborn. The doctors said it was a miracle I was able to have Martha."

Hotch had a strange feeling he'd never had before. "Missus Matthews... I don't normally say things like this because no one can know the future with any certainty... but I think you're going to have more children. Martha will have siblings."

She smiled a little. "That's sweet of you to say. I guess it's possible, but I shouldn't get my hopes up."

When she finished packing things up, she held out the bag. "Don't worry about giving the bag back. I'd like to give you my phone number, though. I'd love to hear how the home birth went."

"Sure, we can let you know."

JJ took a phone call and soon reported to Hotch that Morgan had followed the ambulance to the hospital and was waiting for the unsub to get out of surgery.

"Good. Have Prentiss head over there too," Hotch told her. "I'll just take this stuff to Beth and then I'll get back to the sheriff's office.

"I'll let the others know," said JJ.

* * *

Hotch let himself into the horse trailer quietly, but Beth was awake.

"How are you doing?" Hotch whispered, leaning down to kiss her.

"Okay," she answered. "I'm tired, though. It's good to see you."

"When did Jack fall asleep?"

"About an hour ago. He's been so sweet."

"Has your water broken yet?"

"Yes. Everything seemed normal. But ask Jack about it later. He was very careful to observe everything you told him to, and he'll want to give you his report. We cleaned it up with a bath towel; it's in that bag." She pointed to a plastic shopping bag.

"How far apart are contractions?"

"Still fifteen to twenty minutes."

"Did Jenny come to check on you?"

"No. I think she and Bob must be asleep in the hotel. It's okay, though. The baby may not be here until morning, anyway."

"Maybe not, but I'd feel better if you could get hold of her."

"Do you have to go back to the sheriff's station?"

"Yeah. We caught someone tonight, but we don't think he was working alone, so the town isn't safe yet. I'm sorry... I wish I could stay with you through all of it..."

"I know. Just get back here before the actual birth and it will be okay."

"I'll bring JJ back with me. She'll be horrified when she realizes where we're staying, but it can't be helped. I'm hoping this is the last place the unsub would expect to find a baby."

"It probably is." Beth gasped suddenly, digging her fingers into the hay on either side of her bedding.

Hotch wound his arms around her and held her through the contraction. It lasted less than a minute. "Maybe I should stay," he said doubtfully.

"Aaron, he's not coming out right now. It will be hours yet. It's okay."

He sighed and kissed her forehead. "Okay... but you keep your phone close. And the Glock."

"I am." She put an arm around his neck and kissed his cheek. "Everything's going to be all right. I love you."

"I love you too. I'm sorry I didn't believe you."

"I can't really blame you for that. But you do now, so everything's okay. We're ready for this."

He closed his eyes, shutting the world out for a moment. Then he kissed her one more time and let go. "We caught our suspect at the home of a couple with a baby girl. The mother gave me this bag of stuff for when the baby arrives... did you decide on a name?"

"Jesus or Joshua. They mean the same thing."

"Let's go with Joshua, then. It sounds more Hebrew. You know..." Hotch paused by the door. "I was thinking maybe we could try going to synagogue together. What do you think?"

Beth smiled. "I think that's a great idea."

"Okay. We'll talk about it later. I love you," he repeated. It felt good, being able to say it again.

"I love you, too."

* * *

"Hotch, JJ said Beth is in labor," Reid exclaimed when Hotch got to the sheriff's office. "What are you doing here?"

"Trying to eliminate the threat to the baby," Hotch grumbled. "Have we got anything new?"

"Morgan said the prisoner isn't talking," said Rossi. "All he would say is that we couldn't stop the king from being crowned."

"So, it sounds like we were right in thinking he was Thutmose, not Majesty."

"It seems like it," said Garcia. "Majesty was active in the chatroom just half an hour ago. He was logging in from yet another device. I've subpoenaed that ISP as well, but it's going to take a while. It is the middle of the night. The interesting thing is that this one was much closer; I think it may be in Bethlehem itself."

"Keep working on that subpoena. It's the best lead we have."

"Hey, um... Hotch, can I talk to you for a sec?" Reid asked, looking uncomfortable.

Hotch looked around the room, trying to detect whether anyone else knew what Reid wanted to talk about. The others seemed oblivious. "Sure... let's step outside."

In the hall, after waiting for a couple of police officers to walk past, Reid said, "On the way here, we took turns driving. Gideon and I both fell asleep at different times. When we were just getting into Bethlehem, Gideon woke up and told us he had a weird dream about an angel warning him not to go back to the chatroom and tell Majesty whether or not we found the baby he was looking for, and especially not to mention finding a baby in a livestock shelter."

Hotch felt a chill but did his best not to show his discomfort. It could be a strange coincidence. "Well... people do have strange dreams when their sleep patterns are disturbed. What's the significance of it to you?"

"I had the exact same dream earlier in the night, but I didn't say anything about it because I thought they would think it was silly."

* * *

 _So, maybe you can see how the part of the carol refers to the wise men finding the baby, but the chapter title is also a little bit for Hotch's random premonition about Martha having siblings. That won't come into this story, but if I do a sequel (Easter, maybe? lol) it will. Let me know what you thought of the chapter._


	8. Exceedingly Angry

_I'm back. Not sure if I'll have the whole story up by Christmas... ahhh! xp_

* * *

 **EIGHT: Exceedingly Angry**

"The exact same dream?"

"Word for word."

"Okay, that is strange."

"There was more," Reid said. "The angel said you should take the baby out of Bethlehem as soon as Beth can travel. Even if we catch Majesty, his followers might take drastic action. He shouldn't be here."

"Did Gideon mention that part too?"

"No." Reid looked down. "I don't know if I believe in prophetic dreams or not, but it's too much of a coincidence even for me to ignore."

Hotch nodded. "I don't think we need you to go back to the chatroom anyway, so let's treat the dream as good advice for now."

"Okay." Reid seemed relieved. "I guess you can't move Beth before the baby's born..."

"No, it's too late for that."

A police detective hurried up to them. "Agent Hotchner, we just got a nine-one-one. Another baby has been killed."

"Oh no," Reid said quietly.

"Where?" asked Hotch.

"Up on the north edge of town. It was another Jewish boy, this one almost two years old."

"He's devolving," said Reid. "Broadening his victimology."

"Come brief my team," Hotch told the detective. "We need to get to the scene right away."

* * *

Police were already on the scene when Hotch's team arrived. Understandably, the parents of the dead boy were inconsolable. Rossi met Morgan inside the house and they studied the crime scene together. After the photographer finished his work and they'd had a moment to look at the scene, EMT's took the small body away. A few minutes later, they rejoined the team outside.

"He hit hard and fast," Morgan said. "He had to have known the house."

Hotch went to the parents. "I know what just happened is unthinkable, but do you know of anyone who could have done this? Has anyone threatened you or your son before?"

"No," the husband said in a hollow tone. "No one's threatened us... who could... who could possibly do something like this?"

"Has there been anything out of the ordinary lately? Phone calls? A new mail carrier? anything different."

"I thought I saw someone yesterday," the wife said suddenly. "By the garage... but when I went to the window he was out by the road, walking away. I figured I imagined it."

"What did he look like?"

"Um... I don't know. He didn't look particularly big or small... he wasn't fat or skinny. Just... average. I think he was in jeans and a sweatshirt."

"With a hood?"

"Yes... it was black."

"Did you get a look at his face?"

"No. I'm not even sure of his race. But he was built like a man. Oh, God... do you think it was him?"

"It's possible, but we can't know for sure." Hotch was about to ask something else when his phone rang. Beth's name was on his screen. "Excuse me," he said before stepping away to answer the call. "Hello, Beth?"

"Daddy, I fell asleep..." Jack's voice said.

"It's okay, buddy. How's Beth doing?"

"She said to call you. 'Cause the last contractions were less than ten minutes apart."

"Tell her I'm going to head back right away, but I'm on the other side of town, so it will take me a little while, okay?"

"Okay. Hurry..." Jack sounded scared.

Hotch thought he heard a quiet moan in the background. "Is she having a contraction now?"

"Yes! Another one just started. I think she's hurting, daddy."

"Jack, I need you to calm down. Listen to me, okay?"

"Okay."

"Jenny gave Beth her number. It's in her phone. I need you to call Jenny when you hang up with me. Tell her the baby's coming soon and we need her to stay with Beth until I get there."

"What if she's asleep?"

"Keep trying to call her until she answers. If Beth needs you, though, do whatever she says first and then try calling again. Got that?"

"Y-yeah."

"It's going to be okay, Jack. You're doing a great job. I'll be there soon. I love you."

"I love you too."

"Hang up and call Jenny now, okay?"

"Okay. Bye."

Hotch went to Morgan and quickly filled him in on what the victim's parents had told him. "JJ and Reid, come with me, please. The rest of you stay and work the case."

"Is it Beth?" asked JJ.

"Yes. She's in active labor now, and I'm not sure how long she has been."

"Let's go," said Reid.

"Should I call an ambulance?" JJ asked, climbing into the front passenger seat.

"No... if she needs one, Beth will have Jack call nine-one-one," Hotch said. "I want to avoid drawing attention to her if at all possible. I'm just glad she's somewhere where people probably won't overhear her."

"Where is she?"

"At the Davidson Hotel."

"You think no one will hear her in a hotel?" Reid asked skeptically.

"She's not _in_ the hotel... just near it."

* * *

Jack was getting scared. Beth had told him she might make some noise as the contractions got stronger, but this was a _lot_ of noise. He found Jenny's number as quickly as he could and touched "call." After a couple of rings, a man answered.

"Hello. Is this Beth?"

"No, it's Jack."

"Jack, this is Bob. Is everything all right?"

"Daddy said to call Jenny. The baby's coming soon. Daddy wants Jenny to stay with Beth until he gets here."

"I see. Well, you just sit tight and Jenny and I will come down right away."

"Okay."

"See you soon."

"Bye." Jack took the phone back over to Beth. "Bob said he and Jenny will come right away," he said.

"Okay," Beth panted. "How far away is your dad?"

"He said he's on the other side of town, but he's coming."

"Okay. Oh..." She braced herself for another contraction, moaning softly.

"That wasn't very long," Jack said worriedly.

"I know..." Beth moaned again. "But it's okay... it's okay, buddy." She grimaced.

"Do you want water?"

"Yes please."

Jack opened a water bottle and held it out to her.

Beth took a few sips and then handed the bottle back to him. "Thank you, sweetie. You've been such a big help."

There was a knock at the narrow door and then Bob opened it. "Hey there, you two," he said. "Or maybe I should say you three. Jack, why don't you come outside with me so Jenny has more room to help Beth?"

Jack shook his head. "Daddy told me to stay right here with Beth until he got back."

"Well, I'm sure it's okay now that Jenny's here to help. This is a woman's job. Us men will wait outside. Come on." He held out his hand.

"Daddy told me to stay," Jack repeated, starting to feel upset. Everything was happening too fast.

"It's okay, Bob," Beth said. "Let him stay until Aaron gets here. Where's Jenny?"

"She's on her way down," Bob answered. "She wanted to get a few towels and things."

"We have some here..." Beth trailed off as another contraction took over.

"You sure you don't want to come outside?" Bob asked Jack.

Scared as he felt, Jack didn't want to leave Beth now. His dad wouldn't run away. He would stay and help. "I'm sure."

Beth's phone rang as her contraction was passing and she answered it. "Hello? It's okay... Jenny, it's fine. He's right here." Her eyes seemed to glaze over and then she stole a glance up at Bob.

Jack looked from Beth to Bob, confused. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"I have nothing against you," Bob said in a low voice, stepping closer to the bed of hay bales, "so I wanted to wait until the child was born. And I meant no harm to Jack either... didn't want him to have to see this."

"Bob..." Beth said breathlessly.

He stepped closer and she jerked around in panic. The phone flew from her hand to the trailer floor. "No... don't!"

"What are you doing?" Jack shouted.

Bob had grabbed Hotch's pillow and was pressing it down on Beth's face. Jack jumped at Bob, trying to pull one of the man's arms away from her. Bob turned long enough to push Jack to the floor. Stunned, Jack struggled to collect himself.

 _I have to... stop him..._

* * *

Hotch's phone rang while he was still driving. He answered it without checking to see who was calling. "Hotchner."

"Daddy, help! Bob's hurting Beth!"

"Oh, my God..." Hotch pushed his phone into JJ's hands so he could concentrate on driving. He turned on the siren and floored the accelerator. "It's Bob. All along, it was Bob."

"Bob who?" asked Reid.

"Bob Herod... he and his wife have a horse trailer they let us stay in... Jack said he's hurting Beth. Reid, call Garcia and tell her to get everyone out here now."

"Got it."

Meanwhile, JJ was talking to Jack, trying to keep him calm. "Jack, can you get away from him?" After a pause, she said, "I know, honey, but you need to be safe... Did you say there's a gun in the trailer?"

"I told Beth to keep one near her," Hotch said. "She must not have been able to get to it... God, I hope he doesn't find it."

"Jack, which is closer to you: Bob or the gun? Okay. That's all right. Sweetie, just try to get out of the trailer. Your daddy's with me. We're almost there. You need to get out of the trailer."

As he pulled off the street and into the hotel parking lot, Hotch heard the sound of a Glock 19 going off nearby, and a fraction of a second later he heard it again from the speaker of his phone, accompanied by Jack's piercing scream.

* * *

 _Horrible cliff-hanger, I know. Merry Christmas again. :p This chapter title came from King Herod being exceedingly angry when he realized that the wise men had no intention of telling him where the messiah was, retaliating by killing all the boys two and under in Bethlehem in an attempt to deal with the "problem." Ironically, Jesus' birth posed no real threat to Herod's reign.  
_


	9. Over the Place Where the Child Was

_All will soon be peaceful again..._

* * *

 **NINE: Over the Place Where the Child Was**

As soon as the SUV was in park, Hotch and the others were jumping out of it. They could see the shape of a man in the light of the trailer doorway. The man was holding Jack in his arms, his left arm going all the way around the boy to grip a wound on his right. Jenny was standing uncertainly near the back of the trailer, staring at her husband.

Hotch could hear Beth crying out in agony. At least he knew she was still alive. "Robert Herod," he said in a steely voice, "put my son down."

"Not a chance, Aaron. I know you won't risk hitting your boy." Herod was edging along the trailer, looking for an escape route.

"Bob, please," said Jenny, sounding distraught. "This isn't like you. Put Jack down. He's scared."

Hotch saw JJ moving in the opposite direction from Herod, trying to work her way around to the trailer door.

"We have every reason to take the shot," Reid said, managing to keep his voice calm. "You don't have any use for Jack once you're safely away. We can't trust you to let him go."

"I don't have any reason to kill him either, or I'd have done it by now," Herod countered.

"Jack," said Hotch, "is the baby born yet?"

Too frightened to speak, Jack shook his head.

 _We got here in time._ "You've already lost," he told Herod. "I know you believe that baby is the one in the prophecies. If you leave here without him, you've failed."

"'He who fights and runs away lives to fight another day,'" Herod retorted. "Now, put your guns down or I'll bash your son's head into the pavement."

"Daddy," Jack whispered fearfully.

"It's going to be okay, Jack," Hotch told him. "Bob's just scared and his arm hurts a lot. He doesn't want anything else to happen to him."

"Bob, why are you doing this?" Jenny asked. "What are these prophecies...?"

"Missus Herod, please step back," Reid told her.

To Herod, Hotch said, "If you harm my son, you won't leave this lot alive."

"You're willing to gamble with your son's life?" Herod demanded, squeezing Jack tightly against himself.

"Ow!" Jack squealed.

JJ took the opportunity to slip into the trailer. As Herod glanced in her direction, Hotch's hands dropped and he fired his gun.

Herod roared in pain, shifting his weight to his right leg as blood spurted from his left.

Once Herod was somewhat steady again, Jack tore one arm free and pressed his hand against Herod's with all his might, putting pressure on the arm wound. This caused Herod to scream in agony and drop to his knees. Jack wriggled out of his weakened grasp and Reid hurried forward to restrain Herod. Jack ran to Hotch's outstretched arms.

Hotch felt like a vital organ was being returned to him when Jack finally came within reach. He held his son close to his heart and kissed his head. "Everything's okay now," he whispered. "You did everything right, buddy. Everything's fine."

Shaking, Jack squeezed Hotch in return. All he could find to say was "daddy" over and over.

"Hotch!"

He looked up to see JJ leaning out of the trailer door.

"This baby is coming _now."_

Hotch stood up, Jack still in his arms, and hurried to the trailer. He could hear sirens; the rest of the team was almost there. On his way past, he looked over at the grimacing Herod and remarked, "I told you he would exploit a weakness."

Herod glared back at him with hatred in his eyes, but then his attention was distracted by the voice of his wife.

"Bob! Oh my god, what's going on?" she knelt beside her husband.

As he moved on, Hotch could hear Reid telling Jenny that the bullets hadn't seemed to hit major arteries and that Bob would likely recover.

He left Reid to handle the situation as flashing lights engulfed the parking lot. Inside the trailer, he set Jack down and took Beth's hand. "I'm so sorry," he said. "Did he hurt you? Jack said—"

"I'm okay," Beth gasped. Then she moaned, caught in a strong contraction. She gripped Hotch's hand hard.

JJ had put on a pair of sterile gloves. "Jack, can you get out some towels for me?" she asked.

Jack hurried to do as she asked.

"Beth, the baby's crowning. You should push with the next contraction."

Beth turned a very strained smile on Hotch. "I'm really glad you're here."

"Me too," he answered, eyes clouding.

Reid knocked on the open trailer door. "Hey, can I help?"

"Please get in here," JJ replied. "Hotch have you got clamps for the umbilical cord?"

"Yeah, they're in the blue bag," Hotch answered.

Reid put on a new pair of gloves as he came inside and quickly located the clamps, along with a small pair of scissors.

Beth's grip on Hotch's hand tightened again and she grimaced in pain.

"You're doing great," Hotch told her. "You need to push now."

Reid put an arm around a distressed-looking Jack as Beth all but screamed in pain. "It's okay, buddy. Beth's working really hard to get the baby out now. That's why it's called labor. This is the hardest part, but it won't last much longer, okay?"

Jack nodded.

"Do you want to wait outside?"

He shook his head.

"Okay."

"I've got his head," JJ reported. "One more good push, Beth. Reid, I need you."

Reid patted Jack's back and went to JJ's side.

"Get one of those towels ready..." JJ suddenly squealed as the baby slipped free. "Okay, he's here. That was a little quicker than I expected, but he's okay..."

Reid wrapped a soft towel around the baby in JJ's arms.

"He's not crying," Beth panted.

Reid quickly made sure the baby's airways were clear with a bulb syringe. "He's breathing," he reported.

The baby made a whimpering sound that was quieter than the usual first cries after birth.

"Is he okay?" asked Beth.

"Seems to be," said JJ. "Reid, clamp off the cord."

"Not yet," Reid said. "It's still pulsating. If he's not a strong breather, he needs all the oxygen he can get from the placenta."

JJ smiled. "You'd think he was the one who had had two babies before..."

"I know what I'm talking about," Reid said.

"I'm sure you do. The baby seems to be breathing okay, though."

"Well, let's give him to his mother for a minute. Then I'll clamp it."

JJ and Reid transferred the baby from the damp towel into a clean receiving blanket and Reid gently placed him on Beth's chest. Hotch, Beth and Jack got their first good look at the new baby. It seemed to be a good color and ideal size.

"He's beautiful," Hotch said.

"He's perfect," Beth agreed. "He favors his father."

After a split second of confusion, Hotch smiled. "Yeah, he does."

Meanwhile, JJ went to the door and called, "Morgan, go to Hotch's SUV. There's paperwork for a home birth in my bag."

"Got it," Morgan called back. "Hey—boy or girl?"

"Boy, of course!"

Morgan laughed. "Okay, just checking. Garcia's on her way, and she'll want an update."

Inside, Jack was sitting on Hotch's knee, staring in wonder at the new arrival. "What's his name, daddy?"

"I think we decided on Joshua," Hotch answered.

"Good. I like Joshua. Can I hold him?"

"Not yet. Give him a few minutes with his mom."

"Okay, I'm clamping the cord," Reid announced.

"I... I'm still having contractions," Beth said uncertainly.

"That's okay; it's just the afterbirth. You can push if you feel like it."

JJ smirked. "He doesn't even give me a chance."

"Sorry, Doctor Jareau. At least you officially delivered the baby. You should be very proud."

"Oh, I am."

"What's afterbirth?" Jack asked.

"Joshua has been living in Beth for about nine months," Hotch said. "The placenta is a big part of what made it so he could live in there without eating or breathing. It sent all the food and air he needed through the umbilical cord. Now that he's born, the placenta doesn't need to be in there anymore, so it's being born, too."

"And you cut it off?"

"Yup. Joshua will have a little piece of the cord attached to him for a while, but then it will fall off. That's where your belly button came from."

"Really?" Jack's eyes were wide.

"Really."

Jack subtly lifted his shirt enough to look at his belly button, causing the adults to exchange a few grins.

"Hotch, do you want to cut the cord?" Reid asked.

Hotch looked uncertainly at Beth.

"You should do it," Beth said, smiling at him.

"Okay..." Hotch took the scissors from Reid and carefully positioned them between the two clamps near the baby's stomach. It had been a big moment for him when Jack's cord was cut, but this felt eerily different somehow. _He's becoming part of this world... on loan to me from his real father. I'll try to raise him well._ He cut the cord.

"That's it; you've got a baby boy, Beth!" JJ exclaimed.

Beth smiled and nuzzled Joshua's face.

"You should feed him soon," Reid said, grabbing a spare pillow to help prop up the new mother. "The first feeding is very important."

JJ busied herself with cleanup. "I don't think the horses will be eating this particular hay bale," she muttered.

A little later, after the baby had nursed for the first time, Hotch carried him outside to meet the rest of the team. He was surprised to find the parking lot well-lit, and not by emergency lights. The clouds had parted, sending a shaft of light down to pool around the horse trailer. It was coming from the rogue comet, the very thing that had sent them to Bethlehem in the first place.

"I know, right?" Prentiss said, seeing his surprise. "I think I can hear a helicopter; probably a news team reporting on the phenomenon. When they find out a baby was born in this spotlight, it'll be all over the country."

"Look how awake he is," Gideon exclaimed. "I figured he'd be sleeping by the time you got him out here."

"I figured we'd be _old_ by the time you got him out here," Garcia snapped. "What took you so long? Oh, he's just the most precious thing on this earth!"

Hotch smiled. _He really is._

* * *

 _It's not over yet. :) But now it's all falling action and fluff, to make up for the darkness and suspense. Leave a comment if you can spare a moment. Thanks!_


	10. Warned In a Dream

_This one's a little longer; some loose ends to tie up. ^^_

* * *

 **TEN: Warned In a Dream**

Dawn was breaking when Rossi offered Hotch a cup of coffee. Hotch shook his head. "I might actually get a little sleep after this," he said. "Where are we with Herod?"

"He lawyered up," Rossi answered. "Not that it will help him much. His wife seems genuinely oblivious to her husband's involvement in the murders. They live about forty miles east of Bethlehem, so it wouldn't be too hard for him to take a trip out here now and then to look for victims. Garcia thinks he usually connected to the chatroom at public wifi spots like coffee shops and libraries so his personal IP address couldn't be connected to it."

"Bob must have taken Jenny's phone," Hotch said, "probably as soon as she was asleep. He knew Beth had her number and she'd probably call when the baby was coming. So, as soon as he saw the text from Beth, he took out a victim he'd vetted earlier. He chose one on the opposite side of town in order to get us distracted there while he went back to kill Joshua as soon as he was born. He hit a snag when Jack wouldn't leave the trailer."

Rossi nodded. "Jenny woke up and missed her phone, so she called Beth from the hotel lobby—apparently she had memorized Beth's number—and then it was clear to Beth that Herod wasn't telling the truth about something."

"Bob tried to smother Beth, Jack called me, Beth managed to get her hands on the gun, she shot Bob, Bob heard the sirens and grabbed Jack as a hostage."

"It's a hell of a lot for a new mom to go through on top of childbirth. A lot for Jack, too. Little guy's a hero. I can't believe he pushed on Herod's wound to get away from him."

"I tried to draw Jack's attention to it because it's something I've talked to him about before: if someone is hurting him or trying to, and he knows they have a weakness, he should attack the weakness."

"It sure paid off. He knew when to make his move, too."

"Yeah, I'm pretty proud of him. He still doesn't understand _why_ Bob tried to hurt them, but for now it's enough to know that we're safe."

Prentiss walked over to them. "Hotch, JJ and I have been discussing. Since the Herods aren't staying in the hotel anymore, we're going to take their little room and you, Beth and the boys can have the one we've been staying in."

"You don't have to do that," Hotch said.

"Don't be ridiculous. The SPCA is sending someone to pick up the horses. You don't need to—and shouldn't—stay here any longer. Once she can walk, you need to move Beth somewhere more sanitary."

"She's right," a tired Reid said, coming up behind Prentiss. "Keeping a newborn in an environment like this puts him at risk for late onset neonatal sepsis." He held out a bouquet of lilies. "These are for Beth when she wakes up... from Gideon. And here..." he offered Hotch a small white box with a blue ribbon on it. "That's from me."

"The tie?" Hotch guessed. "You guys didn't really have to buy these..."

"Oh, yes we did," Rossi said, chuckling into his coffee cup. "I heard a rumor that this kid is going to be a king or something, and here he is living in a horse trailer. The least we can do is class it up a little for him."

"I can see it now," Prentiss said, smiling wistfully into the distance. "Someday Joshua will leave the front door open and you'll tell him, 'Close that door! Were you born in a barn?'"

While the others chuckled, Reid said, "I never understood that saying... I mean, it's very important to keep barn doors closed too, so the animals don't get out."

"Hold on," said Hotch. "Dave, does this mean you actually started a trust fund for Joshua, too?"

"I certainly did," said Rossi. "It's not exactly a fortune, but it'll give him a good start."

"I don't know what to say."

"Just don't tell Jack. He might be jealous."

"I think you could buy Jack a matchbox car and he'd call it even."

"Probably. That's not a bad idea. He's probably going to have some sibling envy."

"That's right, they'll be brothers," Prentiss said with a smile. "Jack and Josh."

"Joshua," Hotch corrected. "Let's not nickname him already."

"But Jack is a nickname," Reid pointed out.

"Oh, yeah," said Prentiss. "I forgot. What is it again, Jacob?"

"James," said Hotch. "Though James is derived from Jacob, so you weren't far off." He thought about the moment when JJ had paused in filling out the birth certificate information to ask what name she should put down for the baby.

"Joshua Immanuel," Beth had said.

"Clemmons?" JJ asked, looking at them uncertainly.

Beth shook her head. "Hotchner."

"Are you sure?" asked Hotch.

"I'm sure if you are. You still want to help me raise him?"

"Yes."

"Hotchner. And the sooner I can change my name too, the better. Just wait until I can fit into a nice dress, okay?"

"Oh, honey..." JJ said knowingly as she filled in the name, "don't hold your breath on getting your body back. It's never quite the same... Um... who should I put down as the father? I can let you fill it in later if you want."

Hotch watched Beth's face in silence, running through the ramifications of putting his own name down. If he wanted to deny being the father later, he could get in trouble for falsifying the document. But putting anything else down would call Beth's reputation into question.

"Unknown," Beth said at last.

"Are you sure?" Hotch asked again, stroking her face gently.

She nodded. "It'll be okay."

"Okay. Unknown, it is."

JJ wrote the word in the blank. Hotch could tell she was worried about it, undoubtedly wondering if Beth had been raped, but he knew she wouldn't ask. She wouldn't tell anyone, either. If there was anyone JJ was intent on protecting, it was mothers and babies.

Hotch leaned down to kiss Beth's forehead. "I love you," he said softly.

"I love you, too."

He lightly ran his hand over the soft skin of the baby's head. "You have a family here," he said, too quietly for JJ to overhear. "For as long as you need it."

Outside, in the early morning sunlight, Morgan gladly took the coffee Hotch had refused. "Hotch, you'd better get some sleep, man. You look like hell."

Hotch didn't have the energy to take offense at his subordinate's word choice. "I will," he said. "When are the people coming from the SPCA?"

"They'll be here in a couple of hours," said Prentiss. "But you don't need to worry about that. They don't have to take the trailer, and we can tell them anything they need to know."

"The trailer is kind of a crime scene..."

"The sheriff is aware that Beth can't move yet. No one will go inside it until she can."

They paused as a few strangers approached the cordoned-off area.

Rossi went to meet them and, after some quiet discussion, motioned Hotch over.

"We heard a baby was born here last night," a gray-haired man said. "I have a farm just outside town... me and the boys were out checking our livestock when we saw... well, we saw something we couldn't quite believe."

Hotch looked at the faces of the younger men on either side of the one speaking and saw a resemblance in ear and nose shape. They were undoubtedly his sons.

"It, uh... it was a man... or something that looked like a man... he was in this white robe and kind of... shining?"

"Glowing," one of the younger men confirmed. "Scared the crap out of us."

"But he said not to be afraid," the father went on. "Said he came to give us good news—that a savior had been born." He looked intently at Hotch as if expecting to be ridiculed or scolded, but when it didn't come, he went on. "Then he said we'd find him wrapped up and sleeping in a place where animal feed is kept. Then there were a whole bunch of them... they were saying 'Glory to God' and stuff..."

"So, this morning," said the younger man who hadn't spoken yet, "when we saw the news about a baby being born in a horse trailer, we thought that might be what they were talking about."

"We want to see him... if you'll let us."

"The family has been through a lot—" Rossi started.

"It's okay, Dave," Hotch interrupted. "If they'll submit to being frisked, I don't think there's any harm in letting them have a quick look."

So, the man and his sons were quickly searched to make sure they weren't carrying weapons and then Hotch checked with Beth before letting them come to the door to observe the little baby in her arms.

"Doesn't he look the part," the elder man said, eyes shining. "Looks like a little champ."

Beth smiled tiredly. "Thank you. Aaron said you have a farm outside town?"

"Yes, ma'am. It's my wife and me and these two boys and their little sister. I'm Ben Shepherd and this is Ben junior and Joe."

"It's nice to meet you."

They talked a little more and then the Shepherds took their leave.

Jack and Joshua were asleep when Hotch crawled onto the hay pile. JJ and Reid had removed the bale that had absorbed a significant amount of blood and other birth fluids, so their bedding was clean and dry. Hotch kissed Jack, Beth and Joshua in turn before letting himself close his eyes at last.

 _"That was a close call."_

 _"Gabriel, I'm exhausted. Can't you leave me alone?"_

 _"Make sure you follow the wise young man's advice. Get the messiah child out of Bethlehem."_

 _"Is he really still in danger?"_

 _"Herod's followers may not know exactly who he is, but the news coverage will lead them to him if you don't disappear as soon as possible."_

 _"Okay... that makes sense. But we can't go back to D.C. until the flooding recedes."_

 _"Take him out of the country."_

 _"Out of the country? Are you crazy?" Hotch huffed. "I forgot I'm the one having an argument with a figment of my subconscious mind... maybe I'm the crazy one."_

 _"Try Egypt. They'll never expect it."_

 _"Because it's crazy."_

 _"You've taken this on, Aaron. Make sure you keep him safe."_

 _"But come on..."_

Hotch sat up and found himself in the dim horse trailer. "He is so obnoxious..." he muttered.

Joshua whimpered quietly and Beth stirred.

"I think he's ready for another feeding," Hotch said, sitting up to lean on one elbow.

"He's so quiet," Beth whispered. "Do you think he's okay?"

"I think so, but we'll keep an eye on him. Once we get out of Bethlehem, we'll take him to a doctor to finalize his paperwork and everything."

"Outside Bethlehem?"

"There's still a chance he could be in danger. As soon as you can travel, I want to get him out of here."

"Okay. I don't want to take chances either." Beth cradled the baby and he began to nurse.

"Do you have a passport?"

"Passport? Well, yeah... I took an extended trip to Canada for work. But we don't have to go that far, do we?"

"I was thinking that since things are such a mess here maybe we should get married on paper, take our honeymoon now and have a real wedding when we come back. What do you think?"

"Well... maybe. But we would need passports for the boys too."

"I think I can get them quickly if I pull a few strings. I just have to convince them that it's a life or death situation."

"Is it?"

Hotch hesitated a moment. "I think it is."

"How long would we be gone?"

"I don't know. Maybe a few weeks... maybe... longer."

She was silent a little while, staring at her baby. Then she said, "I just want to know how big a bag to pack this time."

Hotch smiled. "I'm glad you're ready to do this with me. I didn't want to lead with 'I dreamed an angel said we should leave the country.'"

She looked up in surprise. "Did you really?"

"Yeah. Really."

"Wow... it's settled, then. But we need to stay in the states for at least eight days."

"You want to have him circumcised the eighth day," Hotch guessed.

"Yeah."

"We can do that, just not in Bethlehem. And we should take him to a synagogue. That should give me plenty of time to get the passports and a marriage license. Thank God there's no waiting period or blood testing required for marriage in Virginia."

"So, this can be the start of our synagogue attendance?"

"That's what I was thinking." Hotch put his arms around mother and baby. "We're going to do this right. We're going to raise a Jewish boy."

* * *

 _The chapter title is of course about Joseph getting warned to flee to Egypt. One more chapter should do it. Hope you've enjoyed the story._


	11. Flight Into Egypt

_Last chapter! Title should be self-explanatory; it was that or something really cheesy. :p Enjoy._

* * *

 **ELEVEN: Flight Into Egypt**

The brit milah was held at Gideon's cabin. The whole team was there, along with a small number of friends, family and members of the local Jewish community. Half of them had come straight from Hotch and Beth's hurried wedding ceremony. The whole thing was very last-minute—Jack had stood up as best man, JJ had been designated matron of honor, and Henry had been honorary ring bearer.

"We'll do it properly when we come back to the states," Beth assured a disgruntled Garcia, who had been hovering near the punch bowl with Reid for most of the last half hour.

"You'd better," she said. "I expect all the trimmings. And I want to see my gorgeous onyx Greek statue in a tuxedo."

"You wanna see who in a what?" Morgan asked, walking up to them.

Garcia pointed at him playfully. "You, sir. In a tux. When Hotch and Beth have their real wedding." She looked back to Beth. "So, how's it feel to be Mary Beth Hotchner?"

"I'll let you know; it hasn't sunk in yet," Beth answered.

"I hadn't realized Beth wasn't short for Elizabeth until the Rabbi said it," Reid put in.

"I never use the Mary part."

Hotch left off talking to Gideon and the rabbi and approached the group around his wife and adoptive son. "I'm glad you all came," he said. "It means a lot to us."

"We wouldn't have missed it," Reid said.

"Of course not," Garcia chimed in. "I mean, when am I going to get another chance to go to a wedding with a baby-mutilation ceremony at the reception?"

"Penelope," Reid scolded.

"I'm sorry! It's just so... Ugh!" She cringed.

"It's okay," Hotch said. "I know it seems like a weird thing to celebrate. But it's very symbolic for the Jewish people..."

"I know. Reid was explaining it all to me as you went along. I just can't help it. It's squicky. Poor little guy." She reached out to stroke Joshua's cheek with one finger.

"It's a healthy practice, really," Reid said. "It prevents all sorts of potential problems..."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Hush."

Reid closed his mouth and rolled his eyes.

"Anyway," Beth said with a smile, "when we come back we're going to have a nice, big, traditional wedding... but with some Jewish elements."

"Like in _Fiddler On the Roof?"_ Garcia asked.

"Maybe a little bit."

"Oh! you should dance with a scarf."

"A scarf?" Hotch asked warily. It had been a while since he had seen the musical in question.

"Yeah, you know..." Garcia pulled the feather boa from around her neck and put one end in Reid's hand. "Like this... so you're dancing together, but you're not touching..."

Reid obligingly lifted his end so Garcia could pull lightly against his grip and twirl under the feather boa.

Hotch snorted. "Feel free to dance however you like at the wedding... but I think Beth and I will be doing more western dances."

Beth leaned toward Garcia and whispered loudly, "I'll work on him."

Gideon came over and slapped Hotch on the back. "Well, you finally got yourself on the right path, old son," he teased. "Wife and two kids, wedding and a circumcision in one day, plans to go to synagogue, looking for a rabbi..."

"We'll have a new set of material for cross-cultural jokes," Morgan said dryly. "Instead of a blonde, a brunette and a black guy, we can do a black FBI agent, a white FBI agent and his rabbi..."

Garcia giggled.

"Gideon, if you're interested," Hotch said, "I'd like for you to help me teach Jack and Joshua about the Torah. I've studied it to some extent, but I could use someone else's input."

"You don't want me trying to teach them anything," Gideon protested. "Let the rabbi teach them if you don't know what you're doing."

Hotch gave a small, exasperated laugh. "It's not just that I'd like some assistance; I'd also like to stay in touch with you. This gives me a reason to that doesn't involve work. I thought you might like that."

"Well, when you put it that way..."

"Can anyone audit these lessons?" Reid asked eagerly.

"Hang on now... we're not opening lectures to the public here."

"Don't worry, I won't be showing up to Hebrew school," Morgan said.

* * *

When it was time to leave, Hotch gave his house key to Rossi. "Once the flooding has gone down enough, try to get me an estimate of the damage," he said.

"Sure thing," Rossi answered, pocketing the key. "We're supposed to be able to get back into D.C. within the next few days, so I can probably do that soon."

"Thanks. I appreciate it."

Everyone bestowed hugs, kisses and handshakes on the new family.

"Don't drink the water," Reid advised them.

"You don't know where we're going," said Beth.

 _"Wherever_ you're going—don't drink the water."

Hotch laughed. "Fair enough. Take care, Reid. Dave, hold down the fort for me. JJ, Prentiss, don't let Morgan do anything too reckless."

"Hey," Morgan protested.

"And Garcia... keep doing what you always do."

Garcia smiled. "Thank you, sir. Have a good trip." she knelt to give Jack a hug. "Bye-bye, sweetie."

"Bye Aunt Penelope." Jack let go of her and held his arms up toward Reid, who quickly obliged him. "Bye, Uncle Spencer."

"Bye, buddy," Reid said. "Take good care of the new baby."

"I will."

As they were about to leave the parking lot, the rabbi hurried over to their rented car.

"What is it, rabbi Simeon?" Hotch asked through his window.

"I almost forgot—this was given to me for you." He passed a little knitted bunting through the window. "It's from a lady who lives near Bethlehem... a Missus Shepherd? Her husband raises some livestock and she made this from their sheep's wool."

"It's so nice," Beth said, admiring the handmade article. "Of course we remember the Shepherds."

"They told me about seeing an angel or something..."

"Do you believe that, rabbi?"

"It's not for me to believe or disbelieve what others have seen," the older man said with a shrug. "It is mine to study the law of the Lord... and watch for the messiah."

Hotch searched the rabbi's face for a moment. He thought he saw conviction there, and certainly hope. "Thank you. Take care."

"The Lord bless you and keep you and make his face to shine upon you."

Hotch put the car in gear and Jack waved goodbye to the rabbi. They were on their way to the airport.

"Passports?" Hotch asked.

"Got them," said Beth.

"ID?"

"Got them."

"Tickets?"

"Where did you put them?"

"In my briefcase."

After a moment, Beth had retrieved the tickets. "Egypt?"

"Should be nice this time of year. And dry. I don't want to so much as hear the word 'flood' for the next week at least."

"Will we see pyramids?" Jack asked excitedly.

"Maybe. We could be there a while."

* * *

"A while" turned into weeks. Jack was starting to pick up Arabic words from native Egyptian children. Hotch was starting to wonder if his stored-up paid vacation time would cover this trip much longer. He wondered what the team was doing without him... but mostly he wondered what the next step was.

Jack was finally asleep and Beth appeared to have dozed off too. Joshua was becoming sleepy in Hotch's arms. The baby had followed the usual pattern of losing a little weight and gaining it back, and he was now about a pound heavier than his birth weight. Still a tiny thing, he had developed a regular feeding pattern, had longer periods of wakefulness, and rarely cried for long. Everyone they met was impressed by how quiet and attentive he seemed to be.

Hotch leaned back on his pillow beside Beth, caressing Joshua on his chest. At this rate, he wasn't sure which of them would fall asleep first. Joshua lifted his wee head slightly and looked at his surrogate father with gold-flecked, deep blue eyes.

"Hey, buddy," Hotch whispered. "You're getting the hang of that." He felt the short, fuzzy hair on Joshua's head. Then his phone vibrated and he fumbled around for it, hoping the noise wouldn't wake Jack or Beth.

"Hotchner."

The caller was Rossi. "Hey, Hotch. I hope I didn't wake you. I know it's late there."

Hotch sat up and spoke quietly. "I was awake... what's going on?"

"Plenty. Three days ago, Robert Herod died in prison."

"Murdered?" Hotch asked.

"Yeah. Garcia found out via his old chatroom that he had ordered his followers to kill several well-liked celebrities in the locale of the prison in the event of his dying before they could break him out."

"Do you know which ones are being targeted?" Hotch asked.

"Yes and no. We know which ones he wanted killed and why, but all signs point toward the groupies not following through on the order."

"Why not?"

"Because Herod was supposed to be their king; without him, their little zealot group has no purpose. The only reason he wanted those people killed was because he doubted anyone would mourn him, and he wanted to make sure people in the vicinity would be crying at his death."

"Sick son of a..." Hotch glanced at Joshua and trailed off.

"Yeah. We've caught all the major players, and it seems the rest of the group has disbanded. You should be able to come home soon."

"That's great, Dave. Thanks for letting me know."

"Sure thing. Reid also said to tell you that for what it's worth, last night he dreamed someone told him it was safe for you to come back."

Hotch smiled. "Tell him thanks."

When he'd said goodbye to Rossi, Hotch carefully lay back down with the baby. Out of nowhere, Joshua looked up at Hotch and smiled.

As the smile persisted, he realized that this really was a real smile and not a random reflex smile. "You know, don't you?" he asked softly. Then he pasted on a fake displeased look. "You're not supposed to be real-smiling yet, you know. It's not fair to the normal kids."

Slowly, Joshua's smile faded.

Hotch leaned forward far enough to kiss Joshua's head. "I know you're not really mine," he whispered, "but I love you."

As he lay back, Joshua nestled his head on Hotch's chest, over his heart, as if to say "You are mine, and I love you."

* * *

 _Whew, made it before the day was over. Merry Christmas! Let me know if you liked it. :)_


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